About Us

You’ve heard the words, seen the numbers. Epidemic. One in 110 kids affected. You’ve walked for autism, lit buildings up blue. The initials I-E-P make you want to scream.

There’s an old adage that with little kids come little problems. That’s not entirely true with kids on the autism spectrum. However, there’s no question that as these kids move into adulthood, the problems can multiply, intensify.

Autism After 16 is dedicated to providing information and analysis of adult autism issues, with the emphasis on analysis. Anyone can Google “autism + adults” and discover a vast array of programs, documents, and products. Our intention here is to try to help adults with ASD and their families make sense of what’s out there. Our big focus out of the gate will be Transition issues, since so many of you are struggling with Transition right now.

Here's what we hope to provide you:

Breaking news of interest to adults with ASD and their families.

In-depth articles discussing core issues of concern such as Transition, Employment, Housing, Finances, Health, Community, and the Arts. From these overview pieces we will drill down over time to provide more and more specifics, and will include links that we find especially useful.

Columns written by adults with ASD, their parents and siblings that will undoubtedly resonate with your experiences. More than blogs, these columns will both stir the pot of ideas and emotions and provide information and links to useful resources.

Guest-written essays by people working in the field of adult services. These writers have been invited to contribute based on the quality of their work and their commitment to creating model programs that truly serve the needs of our population. Their contributions will be topic driven, based on their areas of expertise.

Profiles of adults with ASD focusing on successes and possibilities.

Stories of service providers who are creating innovative and successful models that can be replicated.

Input from readers that contributes to thoughtful dialogue about adult autism issues.

A Life Skills section containing step-by-step videos and articles to help teach new skills or reinforce existing ones.

Surveys collecting information on the state of services today.

Before we know it, the 1 in 110 kids will be all grown up. And if they look over their shoulders, they'll see more young people with needs specific to having autism following right behind. Autism After 16 wants to be the first stop in embracing adulthood with ASD.

These days, when one hears “Healthcare,” political strife is often the first thing that comes to mind.

We have previewed and commented on the "How-To" videos below. Some of these are simple; others are fairly complex. Refer to these yourself, or use them with your adult child or student to help teach and generalize skills. Please note that some videos may contain skills which require support or training. You must determine which are appropriate for you, your adult child, or your student to use safely. Also note that as these videos come from other websites, they may contain pop-up ads. Click on an icon to see category index. Click here for full index.